Electrical connector



July 23, 1963 E. FlTZ GERALD 3,

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 5, 1960 Fig. 5.

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a Z? Q 26 2688 202 Fa. flit? United States Patent ice 3,098,687 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Robert E. Fitz Gerald, Quincy, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 73,851 1 Claim. (Cl. 339-188) This invention relates generally to electrical assemblies and more particularly to wiring connectors adapted to be snapped into assembly with terminal contacts of lamp sockets or the like.

Existing wiring connectors in use in the automotive industry to maintain electrical contact between the source and lamp sockets are provided with a variety of means to permit snap disengagement of the connector from the terminal contacts. Difficulties have been experienced with the accumulation of ice and debris from the roads on the wire leads creating a tension suflicient to break the electrical connection.

The object of this invention is to provide a wiring connector having integral locking features to prevent accidental disengagement of the wiring from the terminal contacts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical assembly having terminal contact members disposed entirely within the housing defining a miniaturized unit.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in trout elevation of the wiring connector;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the wiring connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the wiring connector snapped into engagement with a sub-assembly of a lamp socket;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of FIG. 3, partly in section;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the complete assembly, pantly in section.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a lamp socket 10 which is adapted to be assembled with a support by means of resilient spring fingers 12. The lamp socket 10 includes an outer casing 14 and a sub-assembly '16. The sub-assembly 16 comprises an insulated housing 18 having a central bore 20 therethrough and a pair of opposing longitudinal grooves 22 extending inwardly from one end 24 and terminating at a point adjacent the other end 26 defining upwardlyfacing abutments 28. A hollow closed end eyelet 30 is positioned in said housing 18, the open end 32 having a curled over flange portion 34 adjacent the open end entering into engagement with shoulders 36 which extend inwardly in the direction ot the axis of the bore 20. The eyelet is biased in the direction of the closed end 38 by means of a spring 40 assembled concentrically with the eyelet and retained inposition 'by a radial flange 42 at the closed end and a recess 44 ilormed in the end 24 of the sub-assembly 16.

It will readily be seen by referring to FIG. 4 that the eyelet 30 is free to move downwardly against the resistance 3,098,637 Patented July 23, 1963 of the spring 40 when pressure is exerted on the closed end 38 by a bulb base 45 or other means.

The wiring connector 46 includes, at its mid-portion, a resilient circular band 48 formed of a conductive mate: rial having a pair of integral spaced arm members 50 and 52 extending upwardly from the top peripheral edge 54 of the band 48 and being inclined toward each other and having a curved cross section. Extending downwamdly and outwardly from the lower edge 58 are a pair of spaced legs 60 and 62 having flat distal end portions 64 and 66.

To assemble the connector 46 with suitable wiring 68, the band 48 is slipped over the bared end of the wire and secured thereto by crimping, soldering or any suitable method. The connector 46 is then inserted with the inclined arms 50 and 52 providing a lead into the open end of the eyelet 30 whose inside diameter is such as to cause the arms 50 and 52 to flex inwardly toward each other with their outer surfaces bearing against the inner wall of the eyelet. As the connector passes into the eyelet 30, the legs 60 and 62 encounter the reduced cross- -sectional wire entry bore 20 tor-med in the end 26 ot the sub assembly 16 causing the legs 60 and 62 to flex to ward each other until they pass into the grooves 22. It is illustrated in FIG. 4 that the wire connector 46 is tree to move upwardly the direction of the closed end of the eyelet 38 but any tension created on the wire 68 will cause the distal ends 64 and 66 of the legs 60 and 62 to bear against the abutment 28 preventing disengagement of the connector.

It will be readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art that this invention will eliminate circuit interruptions caused by accumulations of ice or debris on the lead wiring to automotive electrical sockets or the like.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in this device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained Therein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A lamp socket assembly comprising, in combination, a contact member consisting of a hollow eyelet positioned within a bore of an insulated housing, said housing hav ing a pair of internal opposed shoulders adjacent to said bore and adjacent one end thereof and a wire terminal connector including a wire engaging mid-portion having a pair of arms extending upwardly therefnom into the I ollow eyelet for electrical contact therewith, a pair of diverging legs extending from a lower edge of said midportion and having their distal ends spaced from each other a greater distance than the diameter of the mid-portion, whereby said arms are in frictional sliding engagement with said insulated housing and the distal ends of said legs cooperate with said shoulders to prevent retrograde withdrawal of the connector from said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,536,007 Milner Dec. 26, 1950 2,912,669 FitzGerald Nov. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,082 Australia Feb. 21, 1957 522,807 Germany Apr. 16, 1931 

